


The Shock of Silence

by raynedanser



Category: The Fast and the Furious, The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-28
Updated: 2011-04-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 18:12:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raynedanser/pseuds/raynedanser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do Leon and Vince stick around to help Mia pick up the pieces?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In her dreams, the bullets always missed Jesse: warning shots, not kill shots. In her dreams, Dom listened to her and didn't go chasing that last truck. And in her dreams, sometimes she even forgave Brian for lying to her.

But dreams faded with the rising sun. In the harsh reality of day, Jesse was dead. Murdered in front of her. Dom and Letty were gone who-knew-where. And Brian . . . well, he was still a liar.

The day Vince was discharged from the hospital, he showed up on the Torettos’ front doorstep. Leon stood next to him, carrying two overflowing duffel bags. They'd moved in over her protests, insisting that Dom wouldn't want her to be home alone.

“Mia?” A husky voice broke into her dreams.

She shielded her eyes with her hand and opened them slowly, blinking away the last remnants of sleep. She focused on Vince’s face and realized she’d fallen asleep sunbathing in one of the back yard lawn-chairs after she’d gotten home. Vince stood by the chair, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“V?”

“You’re going to sunburn if you stay out here much long, kiddo. You better get inside.”

She sat up, frowning at how loose the top of her swimsuit was. The suit was a modest two-piece that shimmered a brilliant green. She held on to the top as she stood.

“Good point. I’m going to go change. Are you coming in?”

Mia went in the back door, conscious of Vince close behind her. As she neared the front part of the house, she stopped to look at the pictures on the shelves lining the wall between the living room and the dining room. They were filled with pictures of Mia and Dom as they were growing up: of them with their dad, a picture of the team crowded around the Dom's Mazda RX-7 at Race Wars a couple of summers ago. That had been one of those rare times Jesse had smiled for something other than a car. In another picture, taken when they were all still in grade school, Vince had popped up between the two of them and displayed a toothy grin. Mia smiled briefly at the memory but the smile quickly faded to a frown. The picture next to it was a recent shot of Dom that belonged on the next shelf down. She quietly put the picture back in place.

Lining the walls of the upstairs hallway were more pictures. These were of their dad: working on the Charger, holding up a trophy from a race he’d won as he grinned ear to ear, holding on to a pink banana seat bike as Mia tried desperately to balance it. She shook her head. Memories. That’s all they were. All she had left. She walked the length of the hall as the memories reached out to her.

She pushed the door to her bedroom open and made a strangling sound. It was hard to take in the destruction all at once. The contents of the antique oak dresser had been reduced to a mountain of clothes on the floor. Blankets were a twisted heap at the foot of the bed. Feathers were everywhere and pillows were nowhere.

The dresser’s mirror had been smashed. The ebony beads to the rosary her father had given her for Confirmation were crushed and scattered across the top of the dresser and on the floor, mingling with the broken glass of the mirror.

“Oh, God,” Mia groaned.

She backed out of the room, bumped into the wall and slid down until she landed on the floor with a “thwump.” She felt a scream trying to claw its way out and shoved a fist into her mouth.

Vince must have heard her when she hit the wall, because he pounded up the stairs so hard the frames on the wall shook. The only other time she'd seen him look this frightened was when he'd been dangling off a speeding Freightliner.

“Mia?”

Not quite trusting her voice, she waved her free hand to her still-open bedroom door.

Vince stopped in the doorway. A grunt of dismay and disgust escaped him and then he was on his knees, reaching for Mia. He brushed loose strands of hair from her face and resisted the overpowering urge to kiss the top of her head. He settled for holding her close.

“Mia? Mia, honey, I have to ask. Was anyone here when you got home?”

Mia sniffled and shook her head. "I don't think so. I changed in the laundry room and never went upstairs." Her eyes filled with tears. "Who would do this, V?"

He tightened his arms around her. "I don't know, Mia. I don't know." Determination and emotion had given his voice a hard edge.

Vince the protector. All her life, she'd had Vince and Dom at her back. Now it was just Vince. She laid her head against his broad chest as hot tears fell.

*****

Leon looked at his passenger and a slow smile lit his face.

"You look beautiful tonight," he told her. He reached over and closed his hand around hers.

Beautiful was an understatement. Her dress was shimmering burgundy, gathered into thick straps at her shoulders and draped across the neck. It fell loosely to just above her knees. She wore a thick gold chain slung low on her hips as a belt. The only other jewelry she wore was a gold chain around her ankle and small diamond earrings. She'd kept her make up simple. Her black hair was loose and cascaded down her back.

The parking lot of their destination was nearly empty. He was grateful for that - fewer people to watch inside. The main seating area of the restaurant was a grand, sweeping room with dark paneled walls. Waist-high wooden planters lined the walls, with real ivy sprawling out of them. Landscape paintings dotted the walls. Booths with maroon leather benches occupied the corners. The rest of the restaurant was filled with pedestal tables and chairs. At the center of each table was a squat crystal vase with a lit candle inside.

The hostess had seated them at a table opposite the main entrance. Sitting down, his back nearly touched the wall behind him. His gaze floated constantly from the beautiful lady across from him to the door.

"Leon? You're a million miles away. Where did you go?"

He focused all of his attention on his date, vowing to forget for the evening. He smiled, hoping it looked more genuine than it felt.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"Leon, we drove as far as we did for dinner so we could relax. We even took my car. Now do it." She jabbed her index finger at him.

Leon’s smile grew, genuine now. She was right, after all. The soft light from the candle danced across her features. A beautiful woman, romantic dinner - how could he not enjoy himself? He was going to, even if it killed him.

A waiter appeared, poured ice water into sparkling glasses and took their orders before disappearing again. Moments later, he reappeared with hot rolls and salads. When the waiter had gone again, Leon chuckled softly. If he’d been asked, he would have sworn his toes were smiling.

“Yes, ma’am.” He performed a mock salute. “We also came here to eat, so dig in.” He reached across the table with his fork, stabbed a cucumber from her plate and plucked it into his mouth.

For a short time, the world outside disappeared. Leon found himself relaxing during the meal. He pushed aside the fact that the boy he had loved like a brother had been murdered. That the man he had idolized for years had disappeared. He pushed aside everything that made him sit watching the door even this far from home.


	2. Chapter 2

Vince sat on the couch in the dark as he tried to figure everything out. The cops had come, done their cop thing and gone again. When Vince was locking the door after the cops left, he'd noticed Brian leaning against a telephone pole across the street.

While the cops were there, Vince had learned that Mia hadn't told him everything. During the last few weeks, she had been getting hang-up calls at the store or house and finding dismembered Barbie-doll parts all over the house, including a severed head stuck on top of the ketchup bottle in the refrigerator. When all this had started, something happened every few days. Now, events were getting closer together. Yesterday Mia had found a decapitated Barbie doll hanging in the laundry room, painted with red streaks and one of its feet cut off. When Mia pulled it out of the drawer where she had thrown it in disgust, Vince had had to leave the room before he hurt somebody.

The problem was figuring out who was behind it and Vince had no idea where to begin. Dom was the one with the enemies, not Mia. Vince also knew it had little or nothing to do with him or Leon. Smashing the mirror, breaking her rosary - those were personal.

Vince was still sitting on the couch when Leon got home at 2:10 a.m.. He turned on a light so Leon would know he was there.

"Hey, V. What are you still doing up?" Leon asked after he'd locked the door behind himself.

 

"Hey yourself. Been a long night. We had some unexpected company. Did you have a good time?" he asked quietly. It had taken him a couple of hours to get Mia calmed down enough to fall asleep; he wasn't going to risk waking her up.

"Look, V, I’m tired. Tomorrow you can have all the gory details, k?"

"Fight already?" Vince picked up his guitar and started strumming it softly. He frowned and made a couple of adjustments.

"No, no fight, bro," Leon said, running a hand through his hair. "It's a little more complicated than that."

 

"How complicated?" There. Now the G string was right. Vince played a chord. Much better.

 

Leon sighed and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Teri Tran complicated."

Vince whistled through his teeth. Anything that involved the Tran family was complicated, but Johnny's kid sister was asking for trouble. It was bad enough when Dom tumbled the other sister. Johnny never forgave him for that. Vince wondered what Johnny would have done about this.

 

"You weren't shitting me," Vince said. "How the hell did you manage that?"

Leon shrugged. "It was after a race right after Dom and Letty left. Everyone was clearing out, the rest of the Tran family was gone, you guys were gone. We got talking. We went for a drive and talked the whole night. She asked me to dinner, I said yes and the dinners didn’t stop."

"I hope you know what you’re doing."

Leon tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "Me too, bro, me too."

After Leon had been quiet for several minutes, Vince thought he’d fallen asleep. He was halfway up the stairs to check on Mia when Leon’s voice stopped him.

"Who came to visit?"

"We had to call the cops tonight." Leon sat up, suddenly wide awake. Vince snickered. He knew that would get Leon's attention. "Someone got in today - moved a picture of Dom and trashed Mia's room."

"Oh, shit."

"Yeah. They broke the mirror in her grandmother’s dresser and her rosary. She’s sleeping in my room tonight. Look, Leon -"

Leon nodded. "Yeah, go check on her."

The heavily carpeted stairs made no noise as Vince gingerly climbed them. One of the reasons he had convinced Mia to sleep in his room was that his was at the head of the stairs. By sleeping in there, she wouldn't have to go near her own room. She'd gone back in once after the cops had gone, seen the mess of her grandmother's dresser and left again without touching anything. Vince had given her his only clean T-shirt to sleep in.

His bedroom door was already open halfway. He pushed it lightly and it swung silently to reveal the whole room. Mia lay curled on her left side with one hand tucked under her pillow. Her other hand clutched the coverlet tightly beneath her chin.

The only other furniture in Vince’s room was a night table and lamp, a dresser and an overstuffed chair with an afghan tossed across the back. Before he folded himself into the chair for the night, he stood next to the bed, watching her sleep. He pulled the covers over her shoulder and brushed a stray wisp of hair from her face.

He sighed once before sitting in the chair with his legs stretched out in front of him. He fidgeted a moment and found a position that could pass for comfortable. As he spread the afghan across his legs, he tried again to figure out who could be terrorizing her.

 

*****

 

"No!"

Mia's cry galvanized Vince out of the chair before he woke up completely.

"Shit!" he hissed as his stiff muscles nearly caused his knees to buckle. The bed was empty. Afraid someone had gotten into the house again, he stumbled down the stairs two at a time.

He stopped when he reached the landing. The front door was open, spilling light into the dark hall. Mia knelt in the small pool of sunshine. Her long dark hair hid her face from view, but her shoulders shook. Vince's chest tightened. Shit. She was crying. Again.

"Mia?"

"Oh, V!" She turned tear-filled eyes to him. "It's Mrs. Mueller's cat. Somebody butchered him _ slit him open." She lifted her hands from her lap and Vince inhaled sharply at the sight of blood dripping off her fingers. "Who could do such a thing? Patches was a good cat. He didn't do anything wrong."

The uncertainty and fear of the last 24 hours distilled into a white rage, and suddenly Vince's mind cleared. He unclenched his fists and gently pulled Mia to her feet. Someone was deliberately battering her emotions. They had no clue who, why or how to stop them. But he did know what they had to do next.

"Let’s get out of here. We need to get somewhere else, so whoever is doing this can’t find you. It’s Sunday, the garage is closed anyway and we can close the store for a ‘family emergency.’ Go wash up and get packed."

Mia wiped her face with the back of her hand and sniffled. She’d cried so much the last couple days, Vince had been certain there couldn’t be any tears left. And, God help him, all he wanted to do was hold her and make the monsters go away.

As Mia climbed upstairs to pack for a night away, Vince grabbed her keys from the coffee table. The last few days had gotten progressively hotter and more humid. If he started her car now and let it idle, the interior would be cool when they were ready to leave.

He folded himself into the car, grunting as his knees hit the steering wheel.

"Fucking short people." He searched under the front of the seat for the lever to slide it back and stretched his legs in relief when his fingers found their target.

He put the key in the ignition, pulled the gear shift into neutral, and stepped onto the brake and clutch pedals. He frowned, lifted his foot from the brake pedal and pushed it again. It offered no resistance.

"Shit." He yanked the keys from the ignition, stretched out on the pavement, and shimmied underneath Mia’s car. A quick exam confirmed his suspicions: The brakes had been tampered with. It was definitely time to get out of Dodge. He quickly started his Maxima before going inside.

In his room, he threw a bag together. Jeans, boxers, socks, tank tops. All were tossed into the duffel bag he’d pulled from under his bed.

"Vince? What’s going on?" Mia asked from the doorway. Her hands were washed and she held bottles of soap and shampoo. "You were closing the drawers hard enough to wake the dead."

Vince merely grunted as he pushed past her into the bathroom for his deodorant and toothbrush. Back in his room, he tossed them into the duffel bag before zipping it shut. He shouldered the bag and headed for the stairs.

He stopped mid-stride when Mia gently put her hand on his arm. With every bit of self control he possessed, he kept the heat her touch had created from smoldering in his eyes. He knew he couldn't tell her what he’d just discovered. Her emotions were still too bruised from being a continuous punching bag and he didn’t think she could take much more.

"V?"

He swallowed down an answer that would only scare her more. When he looked down into her eyes, he could see all the trust she was placing in him to keep her safe. Whether it was because she had no one else to trust or because she wanted to trust him, he had no idea. He hoped it was door number two.

"Nothing. Slight change of plans."

"What kind of change?"

"Figured we could take my car. If we leave yours, they might think we’re still here." He paused a moment as an idea occurred to him. "We probably should leave Leon a note so he knows what's going on."

Mia all too happily handed him her bag before she went back to the kitchen for paper. He grunted under the sudden weight, then took both their bags out to his car.


	3. Chapter 3

"You ready?" he asked. He held his hand out to Mia because he knew she would be reassured by that small amount of contact. Leaving wasn’t easy for her, but he couldn’t think of anything else he could do until they knew who was doing this.

She slipped her hand into his. "As much as I can be. Let’s go."

When she opened the front door moments later, she saw Brian leaning against one of the white posts on the porch. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets as he stared down at the planks of the deck. Dark sunglasses rested on top of his head, half hidden in unruly blond curls. He stood straight when Mia opened the door. The blue shirt he wore matched his eyes. They moved from a clearly upset Mia, to Vince, then back to Mia.

"Everything okay?"

Mia sighed impatiently and narrowed her gaze on him. "Not today, Brian. I told you last week that I didn’t know where they were."

Brian snorted. "Like I’d believe Dom’s only living relative doesn’t know where the fuck he is."

Vince had heard enough. Punk just couldn’t keep from pushing it, even after Mia had given him his answer. Vince’s fist connected with Brian’s jaw. Vince watched him stumble. At least he was smart enough not to swing back.

"Don’t care what you believe, O’Connor. Get the fuck out of here." Vince spoke through teeth that he’d clenched so tightly his jaw ached. Before Brian had a chance to respond, Vince had already shoved his way past him and walked to the car.

His hand was on the car door handle when Brian spoke again. Mia’s eyes caught Vince’s over the car, begging him to back off.

"Did you say something?" he asked Brian, forcing his voice to be calm. He still faced Mia, not trusting his temper.

"I was talking to Mia. I asked if you were going somewhere."

The look Mia gave Brian would have made Vince crumble to dust. He was glad the look wasn’t intended for him. He turned to face Brian and leaned against the car door.

"Yes, Brian, I am. I’m going away," Mia hissed.

Vince folded his arms across his chest and smirked as Brian’s gaze swung back and forth again. He could read the unasked questions in Brian’s eyes and wanted to laugh.

"With him." Brian made it a statement, not a question.

Vince grinned. "Yeah, with me. Go away, Spilner." He deliberately used the false name Brian had given them, infusing it with scorn.

Vince pulled away, glancing quickly in the rear view mirror. He could see Brian standing in the middle of the front lawn with a look of disbelief splashed across his face. Vince could guess what was running through his mind and didn’t care. The bastard had betrayed them all. He absently fingered the scar that twined around his right arm. The fact that Brian had saved his life didn’t matter. In the end, he had cost all of them far too much.

*****

Brian stood in the center of the lawn as the last sounds from the Maxima faded into silence. He looked around him. Not twenty feet away from him, Jesse had been killed. Twenty feet in another direction, he'd had his last real words with Dom just moments before Jesse's murder. This was the house he'd made friends in, fallen in love in, but he didn't belong here anymore. He understood that. He hadn't belonged here for several months now.

Jesse was dead, Vince had nearly died, Dom and Letty were gone. He'd lost Mia. She was apparently very comfortable with Vince. He didn't know quite how he felt about that.

What if she really didn't know where Dom was? What if Dom really hadn't told her where he'd gone? At one time, he'd been positive she'd known where Dom was hiding, but that sureness was now slowly giving way to doubt. Someone was stalking her, terrorizing her. If Dom knew about that, he'd come back, wouldn't he? She was his baby sister. He wouldn't care about his own legal problems, would he? He wouldn't let her go through this alone, would he?

No, he wouldn't. Not Dom. He'd come back and kick some ass.

Which meant that Brian owed Mia an apology. He sighed. He hated apologies.


	4. Chapter 4

The DVD player sucked the disc from Leon's fingers. He smiled and turned off the lights so that they were only lit by the light from the television. There had been no sign of Vince and Mia when he got home from the garage tonight. All that he’d found was a hastily scribbled note from Mia on the kitchen counter. She and Vince were gone, but would be back later. Curiosity tickled the back of Leon’s mind, but he’d get the details from V soon enough.

Slowly he began to relax, sinking further back into the overstuffed seat. The movie was another chick flick, but he didn’t mind. He certainly didn’t mind when Teri shimmied over until her leg brushed his. He eased his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He glanced sidelong at her and sighed. His fingers itched to touch her, to share more than the chaste contact they’d had before now. His attention drifted back to the television screen, only to be jerked away as Teri began peppering his neck with soft kisses.

"Mmm, Ter," he moaned softly. He tightened his arm around her and pulled her even closer. A sweet giggle slipped from lips that were growing bolder as she grew more sure of what she was doing. The sound of her laughter did things to Leon he had never felt before.

He cupped her cheek with his hand and turned his head so his lips barely brushed her ear. "You didn’t think I would go all night without touching you, did you?" he whispered.

Teri giggled again.

His own laughter filled the space around them. Dropping his arm, he curled it around her waist and slid her across his lap. He growled softly in anticipation.

She lifted playful eyes to his as she plucked free the buttons of his shirt one at a time. She leaned forward and nibbled his ear lobe as her fingers continued to free the buttons.

"Do you like this movie, Leon?" she breathed.

"It’s OK." He traced along the hem of her cropped tee shirt. She wore the white one that had "angel" spelled across her breasts in sparkling gold letters. The word’s placement never failed to instantly draw his attention.

"I wouldn’t want you to get bored or anything," she replied. She wiggled against the hardness that was growing beneath her.

Leon moaned loudly. The friction against his hardening flesh was almost more than he could take. In one graceful motion, he’d lifted her from his lap and stretched her across the couch. Hovering over her, he hooked his thumbs beneath the hem of her shirt and slowly brushed it out of the way. He dipped his head and nibbled and kissed around her belly button.

Another round of breathless giggles tumbled from her lips. ""Be good, Leon _ I'm ticklish."

"I’ll be good," he whispered against her skin. With his fingertips, he teased lightly along her sides until she was gasping and squirming beneath his touch. He soon gave up the teasing and settled into a gentle caress that slowly moved upwards.

"Leon?" she whispered.

"Yeah?" He lifted his head, his gaze boring into hers.

"Take my shirt off?"

Her almost shy request was all the encouragement Leon needed. He eased her to a sitting position and gently pulled the cotton garment over her head. He left a trail of kisses that began on her belly as he absently tossed it to the floor. Moving his lips to her mouth, he kissed her hungrily and traced her lips with his tongue.

She opened her lips to him and pulled him into her mouth. Soft and masculine moans mingled together as their clothes were shed into a pile on the floor. Finally, Leon stood before Teri in just his jeans. He held his breath as she slowly unzipped his jeans and tentatively slipped her hand inside, grasping his penis. He released his breath and moaned as his body responded to her touch.

"Damn, baby," he growled as he pushed himself into her hand, eager for more. When he felt her touch become more daring, more confident, he knew she was ready. Knew he needed to do something before he lost that last ounce of self control he had left.

Gently, his fingers circled her wrist and he slowly moved her hand away. He could see the confusion in her eyes, wondering why he had stopped her exploration of his body. Without losing eye contact, he fished in his jeans pocket and pulled out a small package and ripped it open. He pulled the condom out of its packaging, looked down briefly, then once again met her eyes. He knew if she was going to object, this was when she would do it.

He watched her slightly shaking hand reach up to take the condom from his hand and released the breath he didn't know he was holding. A shudder ran through his body as he felt the cool tips of her fingers wrap around the base of his shaft and eased the condom over his swollen head. He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him as he felt her roll the rubber down his length and her finger tease his course curls as her hand slowly left his body.

He opened his eyes and watched as she laid back on the couch. He moved to cover her, easing himself between her slightly parted thighs. He dipped his head and gently teased one of her nipples with just the lightest touch of his tongue.

He lifted his head and met her eyes. "You sure, Ter?"

She nodded and pressed herself against him. He clenched his jaw and in one fluid motion, he was buried deep inside her. His first strokes were slow and easy, and the sudden warmth that surrounded him almost sent him over the edge. He dropped his face into the crook of her neck and gasped raggedly against her warm flesh. She felt better than he could have imagined. He struggled to breathe deeply, trying to regain control over his over eager body.

"Leon, is everything okay?" Teri asked quietly.

"Yeah...Just needed a minute.." He resumed his slow steady rhythm as his body relaxed into the feel of her around him.

"God....Leon..." Her voice was filled with a need that slammed into him.

With the sound of their bodies coming together, their excitement grew, forcing them into a pace that could only lead them to the height of pleasure. He opened his eyes and watched the almost electrical charge of emotion across Teri’s face as he moved above her. That was his breaking point. He arched wildly and pulled an animalistic cry from her throat as she contracted around him on his last stroke, pulling his release from him. He dropped his head to her neck once again, trying to draw a decent breath into his lungs.

"Teri," he said softly. "I love you."

 

Her arms tightened around him. "I love you, Leon."


	5. Chapter 5

Vince and Mia slid into an easy silence that grew as the city disappeared behind them. Vince still hadn’t decided where they were going. He wasn’t sure it even mattered as long as no one could find them. He just drove. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but figured he’d know when he saw it.

They’d driven most of the day. When they weren’t driving, they were eating, looking at scenery - anything Vince could think of to try to distract her, even for a minute. It didn’t work though. Even when she smiled, her eyes still had a haunted look and her smiles never reached her eyes.

Mia sat curled in the seat next to him. She’d pulled her sunglasses down onto her nose and had been quiet so long, Vince thought she was sleeping.

"You didn’t have to hit him, you know," she said finally.

He kept his eyes on the road. "I know."

She sat up and locked her eyes on him. Vince felt like a lab specimen under a microscope.

"But you did it anyway."

He swallowed. "Yeah, I did it anyway."

Moments later, they rounded a corner in the road. A white wooden sign announced "Bed & Breakfast." Vince slammed on the brakes and made a sharp turn onto the crushed rock driveway. On both sides, tall trees reached their branches across the road and created a lush, green canopy. The driveway was long and a couple of seemingly random twists prevented them from seeing to the end. After the second curve, an expansive lawn heavily planted with apple trees in full bloom stretched out on their left. The right side was still heavily wooded.

After one final turn, the orchard became a lawn randomly dotted by colorful wildflower gardens. A large farmhouse with a covered porch stretched across the front looked like it had been planted in the middle of the field with the flowers. The setting sun behind the house gave everything a homey glow.

Mia inhaled sharply. "V, we can’t afford this."

She was right. He knew she was right. He also knew that she needed something as different from home as possible. From the looks of things, he’d found it.

"We have the money that Dom left us," he answered after a long silence.

"Vince, that’s for emergencies."

He slowed the car to a stop in front of the house then turned to face her. He allowed himself the luxury of reaching out to touch her cheek briefly when what he really wanted to do was hold her in his arms.

"Mia, if this doesn’t count as an emergency, I don’t know what does."

The first person they found inside the house reminded Vince of his grandmother. White hair was pulled into a long braid flopped over one shoulder. She wore jeans and a tee shirt and nothing on her feet. Glasses had been pushed to the top of her head. The smile she greeted them with was warm and friendly and made her eyes sparkle.

Like what Mia’s smile is supposed to do, Vince thought.

"Can I help you kids?"

"We’d like a room, please," Mia answered politely.

The woman’s smile grew as she nodded at Mia. "Sure. Have your young man get the bags then check in with my husband, Artie. I’m Charlotte. Follow me, honey."

*******

The room that Charlotte led Mia to was on the third floor at the top of the house. It’s walls were painted a pale blue. A full size bed with a white iron headboard and footboard took up the right side wall of the room. A log cabin quilt in shades of blue covered the bed. Pillows with matching shams were tossed across the top. A white eyelet skirt wrapped around the bed. White tables draped with white doilies sat on either side of the bed. On one table, an electric hurricane-style lamp glowed warmly. On the other table, an array of wild flowers filled a clear vase.

Opposite the door, a large bay window faced the back yard and acres of woods. Two white wicker chairs with blue cushions flanked a small table with a table cloth that matched the bed skirt. Another vase of flowers sat on top of the table.

Mia walked to the bay window and looked out. "It’s beautiful," Mia whispered.

"Thank you. This is my favorite room." Charlotte crossed over to the wall across from the bed and opened several built in doors and drawers. "TV and VCR are here, drawers for your clothes, anything you need. Bathroom is across the hall and feel free to use the fire place. Breakfast is at 7, I’ll see you then." With that, she slipped out of the room, leaving Mia standing in the middle by herself.

Mia looked at the wall across the bed. A brick fireplace with a small pile of wood dominated it. A dark wood mantel clock ticked away quietly.

She stepped into the room, kicked off her shoes and flopped back on the bed. She would close her eyes for only a minute, she told herself. Just for a minute. As she dropped into an uneasy sleep, images of Dom holding Jesse’s body mingled with Mrs. Mueller’s cat.

 

******

"Looks like we’re inside a fucking Easter Egg," Vince grumbled from the doorway. He came into the room and dropped their luggage onto the floor. He crossed to the fire place and began adding contents from a stocked wood-box to get it going.

Mia sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "But it’s a pretty Easter Egg," she giggled. She sat up in bed and watched as the flames in the fire place grew, casting the room in a warm glow. She drew her knees up in front of her, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees.

The bed creaked when Vince sat next to her and stretched his legs straight in front of him. Mia leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You miss him?" Vince asked.

"Dom? Every day. What about you?"

Vince hesitated before answering. "Yeah."

"Hey, V? Do you hate him? For everything that’s happened?"

Vince pulled away. "What? No. No! He’s doing what he has to. I know that. What about you?"

"No. I worry. Wonder where he is. What they’re doing. If they’re ok."

They slid into a comfortable silence. Mia watched the flames dance to a rhythm of their own. She settled her head back against his shoulder.

"V?"

"Mm hmm?"

"You don’t know who is doing this to me, do you?"

"Not a damn clue."

"Then how are we going to stop them?"

"I don’t know."

The silence grew again as the fire began to die down. The golden glow cast into the room dimmed and Mia’s eyes grew heavy.

"I think it’s bedtime for me, but there’s only one bed, V."

Vince looked around the room. One bed, no couch and he was not sleeping on those wicker chairs. He looked to Mia and the bed she was sitting on and swallowed. "We’re adults. We can share," he answered hoarsely.

Mia nodded slowly. "Turn around then. Me first."

He did as she asked and tried to ignore the rustle of fabric as she changed for bed. The creaking bed was another thing altogether. That, he couldn’t ignore.

"OK, V," he heard finally.

When he turned around, she was already buried up to her chin beneath the light weight quilt. Her long dark hair haloed around her head on the pillows. She’d already closed her eyes. He bent over, undid the laces on his boots and kicked them off. They landed in a heap next to the luggage. He unzipped his pants and stepped out of them. Shit, now what? Fuck it, he thought and shrugged off his tee shirt. He sat on the edge of the bed, twisted and slid beneath the covers.

"You can open your eyes now, Mia."

Without answering, she reached over, snapped off the light and rolled onto her side. Vince stayed on his back and crossed his arms over his stomach as he tried to relax.

He was almost asleep when Mia spoke.

"V?" She sounded nervous, small in the dark.

"Yeah, Mia."

"Could you just - I mean - could you hold me, please? Is that okay?" she asked nervously.

Vince smiled in the dark, grateful Mia couldn’t see him. "Yeah, Mia. It’s okay." He rolled over, wrapped himself around her and slid one arm beneath her pillow. When she fidgeted against him to get comfortable, he knew there was no way she didn’t know how okay it really was.

Vince the protector. Yeah, right. Shit.


	6. Chapter 6

Leon looked at the paintbrush he held in his hand, grinned wickedly, then looked up at Teri.

"Leon-" she warned.

"Teri," he purred. He dabbed the paintbrush across her cheek and chuckled softly. "You-" he paused to smear paint across her chin. "You have paint on your face."

Teri laughed and swiped her brush down his arm, covering his tattoo. She cocked her head thoughtfully to the side. "Hm, so do you."

He dropped his brush onto the newspapers that covered the floor and slid one arm around her, pulling her close. With his free hand, he gently pried the brush from her fingers and let it drop to the floor on top of the first brush. He wrapped that arm behind her and laced his fingers together behind her back.

"I think we need to clean up." He paused between each word to plant soft kisses in a trail from her temple down her neck to her collarbone.

The paint was a result of a surprise he and Teri had planned for Mia. It was a clean-up project. The cops had given the go ahead to put Mia’s room back together and clean everything up. When Teri had gotten to the house, she’d arrived with supplies. Together, they’d painted the walls, vacuumed broken glass and onyx beads and arranged with a glass company to replace the broken mirror. Teri had even shown up with a bonus- a new bed spread and a few decorator’s pillows to give the room a new, untainted feel.

But what Leon was most proud of, the coup de grace as far as he was concerned, was a last minute touch that he had raced all over town to find. It was a gorgeous mother of pearl rosary that he now had laid out daintily across the top of her dresser. All it waited for was Father Mike’s blessing. He knew the new rosary would never be able to replace the one that had been destroyed, but until he talked to Vince again, there was little more he could do to help.

Which brought them to where they were now, dabbing paint on each other’s bodies like two teens. Leon growled deep in his throat, bent his head low and kissed Teri once gently. The second time he kissed her, he touched his tongue to her lips, begging for her to open to him. When she did and gently touched his tongue with her own, he moaned softly.

Slowly, carefully, he guided them to the bathroom without breaking contact. When they crossed the threshold, he kicked the door shut and leaned Teri against it. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled back.

When she whimpered softly, he chuckled. He was breathless when he whispered in her ear, "Some one has to turn on the water."

Leon turned around, fussed with the water and was finally happy when hot water poured out. When he turned around again, Teri stood before him in nothing more than a black lace bra and panties. The rest of her clothes lay in a pile on the floor by her feet. He moaned. She was beautiful. Her long dark hair hung in gentle waves down her back and her brown eyes watched her expectantly. He marveled again at how lucky he was. She was so beautiful, so perfect. And she wanted him. It didn’t get any better.

One item at a time, she helped Leon peel off his sweaty, paint splattered clothes until finally he stood naked in the center of the bathroom. He waited patiently as Teri shed her panties and bra then took her hand and led her into the shower.

Inside, the steaming water poured over their bodies, made their skin glisten with moisture. As Teri stood facing away from him, Leon reached for the soap and lathered his hands. Gently, beginning at the back of her neck, he massaged the warm suds over her skin. He washed each arm, her back, then stepped closer and washed one breast then the other. He grinned when he heard Teri suck in her breath. He dipped his head low, brushing his lips against her ear. When she shivered even in the steamy shower, he knew it wasn’t from the cold.

"Do you like it when I wash you?" he growled softly. He dropped the washcloth and slid his soapy hand down her flat stomach. He came to rest between her legs, then slid a soapy finger inside and explored her gently.

"Mmm, Leon-" Teri murmured as she squirmed against his hand.

Leon stood closer to Teri. The steam in the shower grew thick as he dipped his head to tease her nipple with his tongue. He braced a hand on the wall next to her as he slid lower, stretching his arm out. His tongue danced and swirled around her nipple and left a trail down her belly as he teased her belly button before closing his lips around the nipple on her other breast. He was an artist with his tongue and soft whimpers mingled with the sounds of the water splashing around them.

He lifted his head and a soft whimper escaped Teri. "Leon?"

Silently, he leaned out of the shower and rummaged around in his jeans until he found what he was looking for. Victorious, he stood in front of Teri again. In his hand was small foil package. He quickly ripped it open and rolled it on. The evil grin reappeared on his face when Teri turned around and wiggled her bottom in front of him. His laughter echoed off the shower walls.

With one hand bracing himself against the wall and the other grasping her hip, he slowly slid inside of her. Pleasure rippled its way through him and he growled softly. He began to move with her, slowly at first.

Moments later, a series of quickly repeating pops echoed off the shower walls. Leon paused a moment, then ducked just in time as the curtain that Teri had clutched in her hand crumpled to the floor. A shiny metal curtain rod lay across it. Leon looked at the pile of plastic on the floor, chuckled softly and took Teri’s hand.

The counter was just the right height. Leon lifted her up and wore a wide grin as Teri scooted to the edge of the counter and wrapped her legs around him. He grasped her hips and pressed himself into her. Teri clutched at his shoulders, digging in her nails just a little as their movement brought them both closer to climax. A sheen of sweat covered Leon as he moved slowly in and out of her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, moaning softly at the feeling of her wrapped tightly around him. Leon shifted his body and Teri's head fell back as new waves of pleasure rippled through her. She gripped his shoulders, digging her fingers into the tense muscle that moved across them. Her entire body began to shake and a loud moan escaped her parted lips as her orgasm rose up and crashed around her.

Teri's pleasure drove Leon over the edge. His knees nearly buckled at the intensity of his own climax. He pulled Teri close, gasping. She lay limply against him, making little purring sounds as her own breath returned.

He brushed a moist strand of dark hair from her cheek. "We need to paint more often," he whispered.

******

The first thing Mia was aware of, even before the opened her eyes, was a wonderful sense of peace. For the first time since Jesse’s murder and Dom’s disappearance, she felt safe. She slowly became aware of the sounds of some one else’s breathing and of the strong arms that were wrapped around her. She smiled and rolled over slowly. When she opened her eyes, Vince’s face was inches from her own. He was smiling too.

"Hey," she whispered. "What’s the plan for today?"

Uncertainty touched Vince’s face a moment. "Dinner with Leon and Teri at the beach tonight after we fix your car," he answered finally.

"What do you mean, fix my car?"

"Yesterday when I went out to start your car - some one had tampered with your brakes."

"You’re kidding me." How much more was she supposed to take? First her room, now her car and for what? If she fell asleep now, could she keep her eyes closed until this passed? It was a tempting thought.

Vince shoved himself out of bed and padded over to their pile of luggage. Mia tried not to watch the muscles rippling across his back or the long, lean legs that emerged from "CatDog" boxers. When her gaze was drawn to the puckered scar on his left flank, it served as a startling reminder that Vince had lost almost as much as she had - two men, one murdered, one missing, but both had been more like family than his real family had been.

He shrugged into a pair of black jeans, then pulled a black tank top over his head. He turned around and face her again. The expression on his face made her tingle down to her toes. "I never kid, Mia, especially not about your life."

Mia forced herself to look away from his penetrating blue gaze. When she looked back, he was tying up his boots. Mia rolled over to face him when the bed creaked under his weight. His eyes were filled with such intense emotion, her breath caught in her throat.

When he spoke, his voice was thick with that same emotion. "You’ve lost a lot, Mia - your mom and dad, Jesse and Dom. Even Brian. I could never replace any of them - not Jesse, certainly not Dom and absolutely not Brian - but I can promise you this." He paused a moment, still holding her with just the weight of his gaze. "I will never leave you. Dom came to see me at the hospital before he left and I promised him that I’d protect you. I don’t break promises."

Mia lay stretched out in the bed, unable to pull her eyes away. This was perhaps the most she’d ever heard him say all at once. Between the speech and the emotion behind it, she didn’t know what to say. She touched his arm. A neat, narrow scar twisted around the upper part, almost destroying the beautiful dragon tattoo that covered it. This scar, too, was a reminder of all he’d lost.

She swallowed roughly before she found her voice. "Thank you, V," she whispered.

Vince looked away first, breaking the moment. He patted the bed next to her legs. "Get moving. I’ll tell Charlotte we’re leaving. You get dressed."


	7. Chapter 7

Mia stood behind Vince, waiting patiently as he unlocked the door. He’d rushed ahead of her as they approached the house, key already in his hand. The lock clicked when he turned the key and the door swung quietly inward. Vince stepped into the living room only seconds before Mia.

"OK, so you’ll go unload the car while I call Leon on his cell, see if we’re still on for dinner tonight?" she asked.

Vince opened his mouth to answer, but instead landed in an unconscious heap on the floor. Standing behind him, holding one of the lamps from the living room in his hands, was Pornchai, a member of Lance’s team.

Mia gasped. Pornchai grabbed her arm and dragged her into the living room. Mia looked around, stunned by the devastation. Her living room was a complete shambles. Furniture had been turned over, broken, ripped open. Pictures had been flung from the shelves into a smashed heap on the floor. An ivy plant that Jesse had potted just a few weeks before he died lay in a tangled mess against its shattered clay pot. And in the middle of it all, looking immensely proud of themselves, stood Lance Tran and Thom, another member of his team.

"Lance? You’re the one doing this to me?" she asked, her voice shrill. "But why, for God’s sake?" Inside her mind, she began to plea silently "Vince! Please wake up! Oh God - Vince!"

Lance’s smile chilled Mia. A thin sheen of sweat dotted his brow as his wild eyes darted about the room. Lance’s sanity was quickly disintegrating.

"Because Johnny is dead." When he answered, he made it sound as though this were the most normal, most reasonable explanation in the world.

An arm circled Mia’s waist from behind. Another hand crudely reached under her cropped tee shirt and groped her breast painfully. Her fright bordered on terror as Thom approached her with an odd grin on his face.

Mia began to struggle against Pornchai’s hold. "Vince!" she shrieked. Bile began to rise in her throat.

"Vince!" She yelled again. Almost immediately, her cheek burned with pain and stars danced across her vision.

"It won’t be Vince’s name you’re screaming by the morning." Lance gently trailed a finger down her cheek, traced her jaw line to her chin.

"You make me sick," she spat, turning away from his touch.

A roar of rage made all of them turn their heads. Vince flew toward them, his face twisted in anger. He collided with Thom, sending the Vietnamese man crashing into the fireplace. Thom lay motionless in the open hearth.

Pornchai shoved Mia forward onto her hands and knees. She looked over her shoulder to see Pornchai, Lance and Vince land in a pig pile on the floor.

Mia desperately tried to think of a way to break up the pile that had Vince at the losing end. Guns. Dom had guns. The day Jesse had been murdered, Dom had gotten his shotgun from the cabinet in the dining room. Mia rushed into the other room and snatched the gun from the wood cabinet. She rushed back to the living room.

Firing into the pile wasn’t an option. Firing into the ceiling was a bad idea because of the rooms upstairs. The windows were out as well because of the risk of hitting someone outside. The only option was the floor.

She aimed as far away from Vince as possible, whispered a prayer and pulled the trigger. She heard one of them cry out and hoped she hadn’t hit Vince. She’d gotten the reaction that she’d hoped for, though. Three sets of eyes were now locked on her.

"Get off him - now," she ordered in what she hoped was her best "don’t fuck with me" voice. She must have gotten it right because Lance and Pornchai moved off Vince. Relief flooded her as Vince stood and leaned against the banister for support. He nodded quickly to assure her he was all right. A bruise around his eye and across his cheekbone and a cut lip seemed to be the worst of it.

She looked at Thom’s unconscious body, then back to Lance and Pornchai. She gestured with the gun, but still kept a firm grip on it. "Gather up your losers and get the hell out of my house."

"I’d listen to her, boys," Vince said.

Lance and a limping Pornchai gathered up an unconscious Thom. They struggled with him as far as the door before Lance made them stop. He looked back over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes on Mia. "This isn’t over, Toretto."

Mia held her ground and kept the gun trained on them. The key line from an old deodorant commercial sang through her mind. ‘Never let them see you sweat.’ With hardened resolve, she replied, "Tell that to someone who gives a shit."

The door closed behind them and Mia released her breath. She sank to the floor, set the safety on the shotgun and sent it skittering a few feet away. She pulled her knees up in front of her and wrapper her arms around them.

"Mia?"

When she looked up, Vince’s face was only inches away from her own. Concern creased his brow. The bruise on his cheek had darkened, but at least the cut on his lip wasn’t bleeding anymore.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly as he sat on the floor beside her.

Mia chuckled. He’d just been Lance’s personal punching bag and he was worried about her.

"I’m fine, V, but you - I’m sorry."

"Sorry? I don’t get it. Why are you sorry?"

She traced the winding scar on his arm with her finger tip. "You always seem to get hurt because of us Torettos. You’ve almost died because of us."

Vince dipped his head and kissed her gently. When he pulled away, he kept his face close to hers and forced her to meet his eyes. "Dom may be my oldest friend in the world, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be, Mia."

Mia gently touched her fingertips to his mottled cheek and smiled. "I know."


	8. Chapter 8

For the second time in less than a week, the police had been called to the Toretto residence. For the second time in less than a week, Mia waited for a crime scene unit to arrive to cover her life in print dust. For the second time in less than a week, she had Vince’s arms to shield her. This time, she realized they held a promise of more.

"Hey, guys, I’ll wait for CSU if you want to get going."

Mia groaned when she recognized Brian’s voice. She wondered what the hell it would take to get him to leave her alone. "Easy, V," she whispered when she felt him tense.

Brian crossed the room to where they were standing against the wall, surveying the damage as he crossed the room. "You know how to throw one hell of a party, Mia," he smirked.

Behind her, Vince’s body vibrated with tension. She snuggled into his arms to try to relax him. "Vince-" she said.

She turned her attention to the blond man in front of them. He’d walked in and taken charge like he belonged there. At one time she’d thought he might belong. Now, the only thing Mia wanted was him out of her home and her life. For good.

"Go to hell, Brian."

"Already there."

"Then just go away."

He looked around the ransacked room before answering. "Nah, I can’t do that. I’m the only one here until CSU arrives."

Mia sighed. "Brian, what the hell do you want?" she asked. "I’ve told you, I don’t know where Dom and Letty are."

"Bullshit! You’re his baby sitter. His only living relative." Brian paused as he looked at Vince. "And you’re his oldest friend - do you really expect me to believe he hasn’t contacted you even once? Come on! Even I’m not that stupid!"

"Wouldn’t be so sure of that," Vince grumbled.

Brian took a step closer. "What’s that, Vince? I didn’t quite hear you."

Vince tightened his hold on Mia. "Nothing, O’Connor, absolutely nothing."

Mia knew Brian was taking in every detail - not just of the living room, but of the two of them as well. She knew she and Vince looked cozy but also knew that until she had a chance to talk to Vince, cozy was all that it was. Brian didn’t know that, though and at the moment, that suited her just fine.

Brian gripped her lower arm tightly. "Mia, tell me where he is," he insisted.

Mia snatched her arm free and massaged where he had touched her. Pink welts formed where his fingers had curled around her arm. She looked up and met his eyes. Never had she hated so much than she did him at that moment. She wondered what had ever possessed her to think she had cared about him.

"You do not want to be doing that again, O’Connor." Vince let go of Mia and stepped around her, making his body a barrier between her and Brian.

"Get out of here, Brian. Just go. I just saw CSU pull in and I want you out of my house. If you ever come here again, I’ll slap your ass with a harassment suit."

"Mia-" he began, then turned on his heel and left as the CSU members filled the living room and began their job.

Vince spun her around and examined her arm. "Are you okay?"

A smile flickered across her face. "I’m fine, V."

"Because if that little fucker had hurt you-"

"V, I’m fine. He won’t ever hurt me again."

*****

Upstairs, Vince found Mia sitting on her bed, facing away from her open door. He entered without knocking, leaned against the wall and watched her in silence. Her long hair spilled down her back in dark chocolate waves. She looked small and fragile. Short of tracking Dom down and dragging his ass back, Vince didn’t know what he could do to make it go away.

That was a new feeling for him. Always before, if something was broken, he could buy the parts, dig out the tools and fix it. Then again, before it had always been something mechanical. Not his best friend’s baby sister. Not the woman he’d been in love with for as long as he could remember.

Vince went around the bed and knelt in front of her. She was holding her hands together in her lap. He covered them with his own.

"I’m sorry, Mia," he whispered as he finally broke the silence.

Mia raised sad eyes to him. "For what, V?"

He shrugged. "I don’t know. Because Brian is an ass. Because Jesse was murdered and Dom disappeared. Because Lance clobbered me over the head before I figured out he was behind all this. And because I don’t know what to do to make him fucking stop."

Mia chuckled softly and slowly shook her head. "You’ve done the best you could with the little that Dom left you, Vince."

He still knelt in front of her, waiting for her to continue. When one of her small hands slid from beneath his and cupped his cheek, he looked up at her in surprise. Her lips met his with the lightest whisper of touch.

Vince pulled back, ready to ask a question, but forgot it as soon as he saw the look on her face. "Mia?"

"I knew I should have started dating my brother’s friends sooner," she teased.

"You dated Brian," he pointed out.

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?"

Right then, Vince knew he had to leave. Knew that if he didn’t, something was going to happen to change things between them forever. He’d been waiting for a chance like this, but now the very idea scared the shit out of him.

He stood slowly. "I should go," he whispered. "If I stay-"

Mia smiled. "If you stay, you might kiss me again?"

She paused for only a moment and watched him. Vince would have sworn she looked all the way to his soul. She got up from the bed and stood in front of him. Touching his arm lightly, she met his eyes.

"Would that be so bad?" she asked.

"Mia-"

Her hand slid to his shoulder, leaving a hot trail where she touched him. Her hand came to rest at the back of his head. At the same time, she pulled him down and rose on her toes to kiss him. The kiss was soft, gentle and lingering as she sought her own confidence. She pressed herself against him and twined her fingers through the hair that curled at the nape of his neck.

Vince moaned quietly. Where her lips and fingers had touched him, it felt as though his skin was on fire. With her body pressed against his, his jeans became tight across his groin. There was no doubt that he wanted her. He knew when she moved against him that she knew. But did he want her like this? With emotions running high?

He pulled back, then kissed her softly, just barely touching her lips with his. He smiled as he brushed his finger down her cheek, then drew in a ragged breath. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

"Mia, I want you. I won’t tell you I don’t. But not like this. Not with Lance’s shit hanging over us."

Mia grinned. "Kissing me is that bad, huh?"

He shook his head. "No. No, it’s that good. That’s half the problem."

Mia flopped across her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her hair hung over the edge of the mattress as she stretched her arms over her head. She made a mental note to thank Leon and Teri for cleaning up her room and exhaled loudly.

"So, now what?" she asked finally.

She felt the bed give as Vince stretched out next to her and propped himself up on his elbow. "We talk to Leon and Teri. See what we can come up with to stop Lance," he answered finally.

She rolled onto her side so she could face him. "That’s not what I meant."

A half-smile tugged at his mouth. "I don’t know. I guess we just take it one day at a time.

Mia smiled. "I can handle that. We need to head out to the beach to meet up with Teri and Leon."


	9. Chapter 9

Vince looked at Mia in the passenger seat next to him, then down to where her hand was enclosed in his. He wondered what Dom would do if he knew. But then, lately he’d wondered what Dom would do about a lot of things.

"So, we didn’t need to bring any food?" he asked again.

"V! For the tenth time... Teri said she’d take care of it. We’ve got the blankets so we’re all set," she answered again, chuckling.

******

Leon’s yellow Skyline sat by itself in the beach parking-lot. Vince pulled in beside it and shut the car off. He reached behind them and grabbed two blankets from the backseat.

The path to the beach cut through a field splashed with bright wild flowers. Vince waited patiently as Mia picked a handful. When she’d skipped back to the path, Vince wrapped his arm around her.

"Happy now?" he asked as he squeezed her close. He relaxed as Mia snuggled closer to him.

"Yup. They were too pretty not to have to enjoy during dinner."

The path was short and dipped down a small grassy hill before opening onto the small beach that was surrounded by ocean, a high cliff on one side and a thick stand of trees on the other. As they reached the bottom of the hill, Mia slipped from Vince’s hold and ran to where Teri sat on the beach. Leon stood at the only picnic table. He’d brought a portable grill and was flipping steaks and foil packets.

Vince peeked over Leon’s shoulder. The steaks looked moist as marinade dripped from them into the fiery coals underneath and the smell of garlic and onion wafted from the foil packets. He inhaled deeply through his nose.

"Smells good," he commented. A cooler was on the ground nearby. Vince pulled it open, plucked a pair of Coronas and dropped the lid. He set one on the table where Leon could reach it. The other, he twisted open as he straddled the bench and sat down.

Leon closed the grill, then opened the beer and took a long drink. He studied Vince’s face. "Thanks. You look like shit. What the hell ran into you?"

"We had a surprise when we got back to town this morning." Vince looked past Leon to where Teri and Mia sat on one of the blankets, then turned his attention back to Leon and filled him in on everything that had happened since yesterday - from Mia’s tampered brakes, to the hole in the living room floor to Brian’s latest visit.

Leon whistled through his teeth and shook his head. "I can’t say as though I’m surprised. Lance hasn’t exactly been wrapped tight since Brian killed Johnny." He was quiet as a new thought occurred to him. "Shit, I have to tell Teri."

"Glad it’s you and not me, bro."

"Yeah, but maybe she can help us figure out how to stop him."

Vince set his beer on the table. "Mia! Teri! Can you come here?"

Mia and Teri got up from the blanket and were still giggling when they reached the picnic table. When Vince patted the bench space in front of him, Mia sat down and leaned back against him. Vince curled his arms around her and smiled at the look of surprise on Leon’s face. Teri leaned against Leon and took one of his hands in hers.

"What’s up guys?" Teri asked. She looked expectantly from one face to the next. Her gaze lingered on Vince’s bruised face the longest.

"Mia, you should tell her," Vince prompted.

"Teri, Lance is the one - um - harassing me."

Teri shook her head. "No, that can’t be right."

"You know me. You know I wouldn’t lie about this."

"How can you be sure?"

"What do you think happened to my face?" Vince asked quietly.

"Oh my God." Teri was quiet as she absorbed the news. "So what do we do now?" she asked finally. She sat down at the other side of the table. Leon stepped behind her and began to slowly rub her shoulders.

"We need to figure out how to stop him," Vince answered.

******

Lance thrummed the fingers of one hand rapidly against the steering wheel while the other hand gripped it so tightly that the knuckles were blanched white. Heavy metal music blared from the speakers. A loaded hand gun rested in the seat next to him.

He needed time to think, to plan and replan. Things were rapidly tumbling out of control and he didn’t know what to do to get it back.. He knew of a secluded beach several miles up the highway. In the past, he’d gone there seeking its peace and solitude when he needed to think. If ever he needed those qualities, he needed them now.

Being caught that morning was an unwanted kink in his plans. With Thom and Pornchai laid up, that left Lance alone to finish this. The problem was that he didn’t know what his plans were anymore.

Lance pulled into the parking lot and frowned when he recognized the Maxima and Skyline already parked there. His desire for a peaceful place to think quickly turned into a rage.

He could turn back. He could keep going and drive as he rethought the plan along the way. But a new plan began to take shape and he parked next to the yellow Nissan. He took the hand gun from the passenger seat and tucked it behind him in the waist of his pants. When he got out of the car, he was whistling merrily.


	10. Chapter 10

Mia dug her toes into the cool sand, leaned back against Vince and closed her eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when Vince gently brushed his lips against her ear. A shiver of pleasure rippled through her.

"Be careful, V. You might have to follow that up when we get home," she murmured.

He squeezed his arms around her briefly. "Would that be so bad?" he asked quietly. His warm breath tickled her ear when he answered.

Mia chuckled. "No, not bad at all." She snuggled into his embrace and felt herself begin to relax for the first time in several days. She looked over to where Leon and Teri were stretched across the other blanket. Leon lay on his back with one arm tucked behind his head. Teri had snuggled up along his side with her head resting on his chest. His other arm was wrapped protectively around her. In the peace of the moment, it was easy for Mia to forget that Lance had been terrorizing her. She wished she could bottle up this moment and hold on to it forever.

Thinking she’d heard something, Mia tensed and strained to listen.

"What is it, Mia?" Vince whispered.

She shook her head slowly. "I thought I heard something-"

"Teri! Teri Tran! What the hell do you think you’re doing?" an angry Lance demanded as he stormed down the path to the secluded beach.

Mia and Vince jumped up. He stood in front of her protectively. Leon and Teri stood as well. Mia placed her hand on Vince’s arm and could feel his body vibrate with tension. At her contact, Vince quickly glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smile she knew was intended to reassure her.

"Lance, long time no see," Vince greeted calmly.

Mia watched Lance. His hair was disheveled, his eyes wide and darting from one person to another. He was jumpy and angry and it gave Mia the willies.

"Shut up, Vince. Teri, what are you doing here?" he demanded again. "The two of you looked very cozy."

"I’m sure we did," she answered quietly as she took a small step forward.

"Johnny’s dead because of them."

Mia stood in place, watching as Lance appeared to slip further and further into his own reality. The expression on his face - or the lack of it - terrified her.

"No, Lance, Johnny is dead because of himself. Because of you. The two of you should never have shot up Dom’s place that day. Should never have killed Jessie." Teri still spoke calmly, as though by doing so, she could reach inside and pull him back to reality with her words.

"Liar!" Lance hissed.

Teri held her hands out to him. "Lance," she began.

Teri took a couple steps forward. As she did, Lance pulled the gun from the waistband of his pants. Vince held Mia behind him, still shielding her with his body. She stayed behind him, but peeked around his shoulder. Lance had raised the gun and trained it on Teri. There was no doubt in Mia’s mind that he would pull the trigger.

Teri took another step and Lance squeezed the trigger. Mia opened her mouth in a silent scream as Leon leapt to push Teri out of the way. His body collided with hers and they both landed in the sand in a heap. Teri pulled herself from beneath Leon’s motionless body. In a daze, she rolled him onto his back and cradled his head in her lap. She hesitantly placed her hand on him. A crimson stain slowly surrounded Teri’s hand.


	11. Chapter 11

Mia rushed to Leon’s side, pulling her tee shirt over her head on the way. That only left her in a bra, but she didn’t care. She needed something to put on the wound. She dropped down in the sand next to him and pushed her shirt covered hand onto the wound firmly. She sighed with relief as the fingers of her other hand found the pulse they sought.

"How is he?" Vince asked as he knelt across from her. He helped Mia hold the shirt in place.

Mia frantically shook her head. "I don’t know, V. He’s still alive, but I don’t know."

Teri gently laid Leon’s head in the sand and stood slowly. Her face was void of all expression as she walked over to Lance.

He still stood where he’d been when he’d shot Leon. Mia could feel his dead eyes on her as she tried to keep Leon alive. He’d dropped the gun, forgotten, into the sand at his feet.

Teri bent to pick it up. When she stood up straight, she’d stopped crying. Without a word, she raised the gun until it was level with Lance’s forehead.

"Don’t," Mia whispered. "Teri, no!" She turned pleading eyes to Vince. She couldn’t stop her, she had to stay with Leon, but maybe Vince could. He nodded in silent understanding and stood slowly.

"Teri?" he began in a tone that was similar to how she’d spoken to Lance earlier. "Give me the gun, Teri." He raised his hand to her as he spoke.

"He killed Leon," she whispered.

"Teri-" Lance began.

Vince shook his head. "You’re wrong, Teri, Leon’s still alive."

Teri started crying. "Doesn’t matter, Vince. He’s as good as dead. None of us brought our phones, remember? The great outdoors. The peace and quiet. Help will never get here in time."

Vince chanced a small step forward. "Give me the gun, Teri," he said again. He still spoke in that quiet way he had, but the tone had taken on more authority.

Mia looked down to Leon. Blood still oozed between her fingers. She found his pulse again and frowned. Already, it wasn’t as strong as it had been only moments ago. She realized Teri was right. Help would never arrive in time and Leon was going to die. Another friend, a member of her family, had been murdered before her eyes and she’s been helpless again. Sweet Jesus, how much more was she supposed to take?

"Teri! We’re losing precious time! Please! Put the gun down!" Mia cried out.

Teri glanced quickly to Leon, then back to Lance. She whispered "No" and squeezed the trigger. Lance’s eyes widened in surprise before he fell in the sand at Teri’s feet.

"That’s enough, Teri. Put the gun down - Now."

Mia looked for the source of the voice. It didn’t take long for her to find it. Brian stood halfway down the hill. He held his gun firmly trained on Teri. Like a nightmarish tennis match, Mia looked from Brian to Teri and back to Brian again. She knew that Brian would shoot her if he had to. She looked back to Teri. A blood red sun was setting behind her, casting her into an eerie glow. Tear trails glistened down her cheeks since she’d begun crying again.

"Teri? Please? Drop the gun?" Mia pleaded. "Teri!"

Teri turned to look at Leon before she raised moist eyes to Mia. "I’m sorry," she whispered, putting the gun to her temple.

Vince and Brian ran toward her, but couldn’t reach her before she pulled the trigger. Shocked, Vince skidded to a stop. Brian rushed past him, knelt in the sand and touched his fingertips to her neck gently.

"Brian?" Mia could hardly speak.

Brian shook his head. "I’m sorry Mia."

Vince knelt beside Mia. "Mia, get him to call for help. I’ve got Leon."

"You sure, V?" she asked without moving.

He gently pushed her. "I’m sure. Go."

Brian was already hanging up his cell phone. He met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her. For just a moment, she let him and was reminded of happier times before she pushed herself away. Those times were long over.

"I’m sorry, Mia. I didn’t know Teri, but Leon was a friend once."

She looked up into his blue eyes, moist with unshed tears. "Help will never get here in time, Brian. She was right about that."

"Mia, you don’t know that."

She lifted her bloody hands and stared at them. "Yeah, Brian, I do," she murmured. She looked up suddenly, some of the fire back in her eyes. "Why are you here, Brian? How did you know where we were?"

"Honestly? Pure shit luck. I knew that sometimes you and Dom used to come up here before your dad was killed and thought I’d give it a shot." He looked down at the cell phone in his hand. "I wish I’d gotten here sooner."

"Me too, Brian."

"You really don’t know where Dom and Letty are, do you?" he asked.

"Brian-"

"If you did, he’d be here with you. I’m sorry, Mia. I should have believed you."

"Yeah, Brian, you should have."

"Mia!" Vince’s voice interrupted. Mia turned and saw Leon blinking up at his friend. She hurried to him, slipping on the sand, and fell to her knees beside Vince. She cradled Leon’s head in her lap as Teri had done earlier, thankful Brian had stayed back.

"Leon?" she whispered. She wiped tears away and left a smear of blood across her cheek.

"Mia. Hey bro. Where’s Teri?" he wanted to know.

Dear God, she didn’t want to tell him. Tears fell faster and her vision started to blur.

"Leon," she choked.

"Mia, where’s Teri?" he asked again.

"She’s dead, Leon, I’m sorry."

Leon lifted his head slightly, grimacing with the pain. "No."

"Leon, bro," Vince said, his own voice tightening. "She killed herself because she thought Lance had killed you."

"Oh, God, Teri," Leon whispered, despair filling his voice. "Teri . . ." he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. His hand slip off his stomach and lay limply on the sand.

Mia stiffened and glanced at Vince. His deep blue eyes glittered with fear and tears.

"Leon?" she asked, shaking him slightly.

"Leon!" Vince echoed, willing his own strength to his friend. "Hang on, bro! Help is coming. Just hang on!"

Mia put her fingertips on Leon’s neck, then leaned over him, hoping to see the rise and fall of his chest, feel his breath on her cheek. She held her breath, hoping against hope to hear even shallow breathing.

But all she heard was the echo of silence.


End file.
